Police said the man was a passenger in new-model Toyota Higlander that pulled up beside the victim's car as the woman was filling up at a gas pump. The suspect is seen in a surveillance video getting out of the Higlander, slinking to the woman's vehicle and then getting back into the Highlander, which speeds away.

The victim did not realize her purse was gone until she was driving away from the gas station.

The suspect is described as being black. He was about 5 feet 9 inches tall. He wore beanie cap, a dark jacket with white trim and a dark shirt and pants. He had a beard.

A surveillance video of the theft and the suspect can be seen on the HPD YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6av3kwjZcKY.

The suspect also is seen on the video tape buying merchandise at the store.

Police said same Higlander is believed to have been used in the following similar heists: